“Is that what I think it is?” I asked in awe, never imagining that such a place existed.
“The Labyrinth.” The way Aster said this made me shudder. It wasn’t like he was afraid. Aster didn’t seem scared of anything, but it was like he recognized this place and wasn’t exactly happy to be seeing it again.
The entrance of the Labyrinth loomed before us. I gasped as I noticed strange symbols etched across the surface of the wall, twisting and curling in ways that made my eyes ache when I tried to focus. They glowed red like fire burned inside them.
I took a step closer, unable to stop myself. Carved into the top of the arch was a prominent symbol depicting a spiral of horns, similar to those of Aster’s. Horns that fascinated me, the way they circled inward until they met at a single point. This symbol glowed too, but much brighter, as if the fire within the labyrinth burned hotter there. Smaller glyphs formed a ring around the symbol, which I also couldn’t understand, but as usual, it was like Aster could read my mind.
“It reads,these halls were built for sacrifice. Pray you are not the offering.”
I swallowed, and I swore it was so loud that it echoed through the entrance of the labyrinth.
“That’s… comforting,” I grumbled dryly as I reached instinctively for the dagger Atlas had given me. However, I stopped just in time, not wanting to release any of the lightning.
“And you’re sure this is the only way through? Should we not turn back and try to find another way?”
“There is no other way. We get through the Labyrinth, then we will get to Atlas quicker.” His tone, his face, even his stance told me he was dead serious, but it also told me it wasn’t going to be easy.
“But there are things you must know before we do this,” he warned, and I had to say, his tone wasn’t making me feel any better about this.
“When we enter this place, we must not stop. Do you understand? The walls move when they sense fear.” I nodded, my words lost in what he had just said as a chill ran through my body.
Aster exhaled slowly through his nose, as if he was doing some quick breathing exercises to zap away any fear hiding inside of him. I joined him, and he narrowed his eyes, a smirk touching his lips.
“Ready?” he asked once he had let out another long breath, this time through his mouth.
“I was born ready,” I said, narrowing my eyes and posing with my closed fists like I was ready for the fight, hoping it would cut through the tension. Humor was always a great tool to help do that, and it worked because he let out a laugh and a snort.
“You’re worse than Atlas, do you know that?”
I grinned, bowing dramatically, before smirking.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” I said, stepping toward the entrance before I could talk myself out of it.
As soon as my foot stepped over the entrance, the walls moved, and I would have screamed had it not been for Aster’s quick instincts as he covered my mouth with his large hand.
It started as a tremor beneath my feet and the faint sound of stone shifting against stone. Then the entrance behind us shimmered, and the same deafening crack from before echoed all around us, ten times louder in the enclosed space. We turned, and I groaned as the entrance began to vanish. The jagged wound healed as stone blocks interlocked so tightly you would have never known where they had split. And as darkness took over, the sound of stone meeting stone brought the noise to an end.
We stood in complete darkness, and though I couldn’t see him, I could feel Aster behind me as he unpeeled his fingers from my mouth. My only comfort in this unknown was the feel of his strength next to me. His breathing was even, confident, and I tried to match it, to show I was just as fearless as the minotaur by my side.
“Looks like we can’t change our minds now,” I sighed before adding, “Not that turning back is an option.”
I couldn’t see, but I could almost feel the dry look he granted me. But then came a low rumble that vibrated through the ground, and the darkness peeled back as torches ignited one by one. As if the labyrinth were revealing itself bit by bit, piece by piece. Warm light spilled over Aster’s silhouette, catching the sharp curve of his horns. He had changed into his Minotaur form. Which meant only one thing…
This labyrinth was more than just dangerous…it was deadly.
And suddenly, I wasn’t matching his confidence anymore.
I was borrowing it.
Because now it felt like I was breathing underwater. Although I didn’t know whether that was the fear trying to make itself known or sudden claustrophobia knowing we were now rats trapped in a maze. Regardless, I tried to breathe evenly, swallowing down whatever the feeling was and focusingon Aster. I looked him up and down, my mouth wide open and refusing to close.
His baggy jeans and tight shirt had gone, replaced by… well… nothing. Nothing on his top half anyway, only the short brown fur that covered his whole body, his hard pecs and corded abs showing off his incredible strength. His bottom half was covered in overlapping leather flaps that hung from a belt in the shape of a skirt, similar to the style worn by Roman soldiers. The huge boots I was accustomed to seeing him wear were now gone, wide, dark brown, cloven hooves in their place.
“Wow, you change faster than Superman,” I said, hoping he got the pop culture reference. He grinned down at me, granting me a wink. Then something caught my eye, and I took a step back to confirm my suspicions. I let out a noise somewhere between a cough and a gasp.
“Wait, is that a… atail?”
He gave me a piercing look and twisted so his tail was out of my line of vision.
